Hi Chaps,
I played my first gig with a new band on Saturday, classic rock covers. My main amp was my Gartone 5E3 Deluxe cranked to around 9, with treble on around 10. This gives it lots of drive, but also the ability to clean up from the volume of my Les Paul.
Next to it, I put my Marshall 1974X and linked them together using a guitar lead from the normal input channel 1 of the 5E3 to the high input of the non trem channel on the Marshall. I set it up this way "just in case" I needed a bit more later in the gig.
I did in fact need some more, so as the night went on, I gradually brought in the Marshall to bolster the Gartone. Whilst it didn't change the fundamental tweed tone, it just sounded bigger and slightly louder. The Marshall only got up to around 5 by the end of the night.
I didn't have any noise issues or hum on the night, but I'm wondering whether I can always rely on that being the case.
Do you guys have any experience of using two amps the way I did on Saturday vs using a splitter box? I've been looking at something like the Lehle P-Split.
Any input welcome.
Cheers,
Rob.
Comments
When linking the two amps via the inputs, the gain of each is slightly reduced, which means I don't get full grind out of either of them. Simply unplugging the lead from the second amp, increases the gain and drive in the first one.
What I need is a splitter box which does not reduce the signal from my guitar to either of the amps, I want them to sound just as they would had I plugged into either of them individually.
Does such a thing exist?
I know Joe Bonamassa uses the Lehle P-Split to run multiple amps, but this is passive and I can't help thinking it will reduce the signal, but without any potential ground or noise issues.
Can anyone advise?
Cheers,
Rob
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
IC's buffer pedal (any NOT 'true bypass ***t, i.e. any of 'cough!') is good advice but. An amp with the industry standard 'high and low' input jacks causes the input Z to descend to 68k or less. This is not generally known or noticed by guitarists which means 'The Magic Meg' is not as important as peeps think.
On the hum loop front? Yes you could have a problem in certain venues. Always ensure the two amps share the same power sockets i.e. adjacent on a strip or a double outlet. Might be worth making up a spare link cable with the screen diss'ed one end.
LABEL IT!
Dave.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
https://www.andertons.co.uk/p/BIGSHOTABY/aby-and-switchers/radial-tonebone-bigshot-true-bypass-aby-pedal
@Voxman, those pedals are passive, and I think I would still get signal loss? The Radial Twin City is active/buffered so as to preserve the signal. Anyone used one of those?
@thermionic, that looks interesting and specifically says that signal is preserved as it is active. The price is very cheap! Are there any sacrifices being made here that I should be aware of? What's the quality of Bright Onion pedals like?
Thanks,
Rob.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
(formerly miserneil)
DISCLAIMER: James @ Bright Onion manufactures my footswitches for me, so there is some affiliation there.
Rift Amplification
Brackley, Northamptonshire
www.riftamps.co.uk